Winter 1999
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In this issue Iowa Institute for Public Leadership brings state officials together Extension strengthens low-resource families Modern Johnny Appleseed sows technology Kids dig in the dirt and grow in the garden
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Learning to teach: Extension volunteers share Internet skills Surfing the World Wide Web, communicating electronically and building web pages -- these expressions are becoming more common. But without knowledge of their meaning, the words are as confusing as an unfamiliar language. This fall citizens of Johnson and Benton counties left behind the confusion about Internet language when they enrolled in an Iowa State University Extension class called Master Navigator. Now they will be sharing their new skills with others in their communities.
According to Barb Kelley, ISU Extension system support specialist and program facilitator, the Master Navigator Program trains Iowa citizens in basic to intermediate Internet skills -- finding a provider, considering software and hardware, navigating the web, customizing a web browser, considering security issues, downloading files, communicating with electronic mail and building web pages. Johnson and Benton counties were successful pilot sites for the new program set up as two-and-one-half-hour classes that met in an on-going training once a week for eight weeks. But Master Navigator training isn't just about receiving Internet knowledge. It also is about sharing it. Within a year of taking the class, participants must volunteer 25 hours of their time teaching others skills in Internet navigation. This was OK with Rich King, a Johnson County participant. "I liked that I would be learning in a group, and because I grew up with my mom working in Extension, I knew it to be a good tool. But really, it was about the idea of taking information in and then having it sink in by teaching it to others. I think a lot of times, the teacher learns more than the students." King plans to look into teaching a class at the West Branch library and sees potential for exceeding the required 25 hours. He also plans to use the knowledge and skills he acquired in maintaining a business website. "We use the site to take our 'Custom Surfaces' artwork from small town Downey, Iowa, to the world." Benton County participant Denise Goers also saw the volunteering requirement as positive. "I like to contribute to my community, and especially with tools to teach things people can really use. We live in a small town with Internet access at the library. More people could use it if they knew how." Kelley said that participants have had no problem finding places to volunteer. "Many opportunities are available at local schools, libraries, companies, non-profits and even private citizens." ISU Extension plans to expand the Master Navigator program into more counties. "It is about helping Iowa to become more technologically literate," and about ISU Extension "keeping up with teaching where society is going," Kelley said. "People want to learn this because they love computers
and love the Internet. Some might have a specific goal like
writing web pages" when they begin the program, she said,
but their goal changes. They want to "share that love of
technology, genuinely wanting to help others to not be
afraid of the unknown." |
